A prominent South Texas businessman with close ties to state government was shot and killed over the weekend inside a McAllen business, prompting a homicide investigation in one of the Rio Grande Valley’s busiest commercial areas.
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McAllen police identified the victim as Eddy Betancourt, 61, of Mission. Officers were called Saturday afternoon to a business in the 800 block of North Ware Road after a 911 caller reported a man on the floor who appeared to have been shot and was not breathing.
When officers arrived, Betancourt was unresponsive and had no pulse.
Investigators said Betancourt appeared to have suffered a gunshot wound and was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities immediately launched a homicide investigation, securing the area and beginning to gather evidence.
On Sunday, police named Reynaldo Mata-Rios, 60, as a suspect in the killing. A McAllen Municipal Court judge issued a warrant charging Mata-Rios with murder, a first-degree felony. Police said Mata-Rios told investigators he intended to turn himself in but had not done so as of Sunday afternoon.
Betancourt was well known in both business and government circles. Gov. Greg Abbott appointed him in 2020 to the Texas Facilities Commission, which oversees state-owned buildings, and reappointed him in 2023 to a term running through 2029.
He also held leadership roles in multiple construction, real estate, and investment companies and served on several local boards. Police said the investigation remains ongoing, and no motive has yet been released.[/read]